The health consequences of frequently eating foods that are high in carbohydrates and/or unnatural fats have been widely reported in the last several years. Accordingly, foods that are high in protein have been found to be some of the healthiest options, and many consumers are subsequently seeking out such foods. Where milk proteins are included as part of a higher protein diet, vast improvements have been found with muscle protein synthesis, promoting satiety, preserving and increasing lean muscle mass, enhancing calcium retention and improving bone strength. Additionally, the more convenient a food product is to prepare and eat, the more likely consumers with busy lifestyles are to purchase and/or consume such a food product.
High protein food products that are convenient for consumers to prepare and eat that are currently available to consumers are often based on meat (e.g., beef jerky, poultry jerky, etc.), soy (e.g., roasted edamame, soy “milk”, etc.), or cow's milk (e.g., casein, whey protein). However, prior art high protein foods based on cow's milk often require large amounts of sweeteners (either artificial or natural) so as to be palatable. Additionally, prior art high protein foods based on cow's milk do not provide a liquid cow's milk protein profile at high protein concentrations.
In the context of extruded food products, the addition of milk-derived protein often affects the food product in an undesirable manner. Such effects include but are not limited to contributing to an unpalatable food product, undesirable texture of the food product, and/or an undesirable density of the food product. Accordingly, a need exists for a food product with a high milk protein content that is palatable, and which has a desirable texture and density. In addition a powdered high protein food optimally would be homogeneous and have desirable solubility and heat stability.